Peck defends RDC

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 678, 18 March 1997, Page 1

Peck defends RDC

Lobbyists planning to pressure the Ruapehu District Council for improvements in the Waimarino are not representative of the wider community, claims deputy mayor Bob Peck. He told the Bulletin that he surveyed Ohakune business people in the central business district, excluding the Ohakune Junction, and found only Turn to Page 2

Peck defends Ruapehu District

FROM PAGE 1 two out of 23 who had been present at the meeting at which the lobby group was formed. He claimed general attitudes were that they did not attend the meeting because they were not invited; that they would not go because "it was Paul Scarf s campaign"; that "John McCarthy had never even been in my shop so he does not support local business"; and "who is he to stir things up on our behalf '. He described the comments as "hearsay", but still informative.

Mr Peck said the claims of the group were irrational, ridiculous and divisive. No subsidy He said the claim that the south subsidises the north was "incorrect", citing the separate. road and ward rates. He pointed out that an on-going footpath building programme was under way and that new paths had only recently been laid in parts of Ohakune and Raetihi. The Ohakune toilets were quite acceptable to tourists and locals, claimed Mr Peck. He admits there are prob-

lems and that there is always room for improvement, but that most of Ruapehu' s problems are down to new acts of parliament such as the Resource Management Act which forces the council to "do certain things" such as manning rubbish tips and screening them and treating their effluent. "What is wrong is not what they are saying is wrong," he claims. Other basic problems with Ruapehu were that it had too small a rate payer base, too large a geographical area and too much un-

rateable land such as Department of Conservation and Army land. Mountain blamed "The mountain is an imponderable, it is an active volcano that has an effect on the economy and a massive effect on the council," reminds Mr Peck. "The eruptions swallowed up large amounts of time and effort of staff and our council bore the brunt of it, no one else." "This group has no idea of the practicalities of the problems," he said, citing the group' s recent proposal to extend the Raetihi air-

strip. "It' s a good idea, but their report on the matter was atrocious, a guesstimate and a rehash of old, out of date information topped off with the weak statement that 'the Army might build it'." "They've got to realise you can't be airy fairy — this (airport proposal) won't see the light of day until' they do some homework.'i Mr Peck defended the council' s track record, say-ij ing there are many thingsl that are good, such as thel sealing of Pipiriki RoadJ which seemed like a pipeK dream just a few years ago.l